Leather finishing machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. G. A. KNOX.

LEATHER FINISHING MACHINE.

No. 362,286. Patented May 3, 1887.

lNVEN T05.

N. PETERs Phmumo m w. Washingwn. n. r;

WITNESSES.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. KNOX.

LEATHER FINISHING MACHINE. No. 362,286. Patented May 3, 1887.

vv/ M55555.

NI PETERS. Phnlo-Lhho hphr. Washington, 0. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE A. KNOX, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

LEATHER-FINISHING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION" forming part of Letters Patent No. 362,286, dated May 3, 1887.

Application filed July 21, 1886. Serial No. 208,667. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE ALFRED KNOX, of Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Leather Finishing Machines, of which the following is a specification;

Myinvent-ion relates to machines for finishing, polishing, pebbling, glassing, or rolling morocco, sheep-skin, kid, and other kinds of leather, and has for its object to provide improved means for vertically adjusting the bed upon which the leather is supported when being operated upon, as also to improved means whereby the tension with which the bed is held up against the operating devices may be regulated or adjusted.

The invention consists in contrivances whereby the bed or support may be adjusted vertically without disturbing the degree of tension wit-h which it is held pressed upward.

The invention also consists in devices whereby the tension with which the bed is pressed upward may be regulated without disturbing the vertical adj ustments or position of the bed.

The invention also consists in contrivances for vertically adjusting both ends of the bed simultaneously or independently.

The invention also consists in improvements in certain details of construction in a machine of the character mentioned.

The invention will first be described in connection with the drawings, so that those skilled in the art may be able to make and use the same, and then particularly pointed out in the claims.

Of the drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of so much of a machine as it is necessary to show, illustrating the nature and relationship of the devices constituting myinvention. Fig. 2 is an end view of the part shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a rear end view of one of the wedges, with the arm by which it is operated represented as attached thereto, as also a modified manner of guiding the same in its longitudinal movements. Fig. 4 is atop plan view of the wedge represented in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a modified form of the invention. Fig. 6 is an end view of the construction shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view of another modified con struction of the devices for operating the adjusting-wedges. Figs. 8 and .9 are respect ively plan and end views of the tension-wedge shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 10 is a sectional detail of modified means for adjusting each wedge independently of another or others. Fig. 11 represents a form of bearing-box for the handwheel when the latter is constructed to turn in stationary bearings and to have the adj usting-rods move through it.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of the figures.

In the drawings, a indicates the frame, and b the bed, of so much of a morocco-finishing machine as it is deemed necessary to show. The bed b, as represented, is supported vertically by means of the rods 0 0, attached at their upper ends to said bed and having thei r lower ends extended through holes formed in the frame, and in a block, a, secured to the frame or cast with it, and near said lower ends collars d d are rigidly secured, as represented in dotted lines in Figs. land 5, and in full lines in Fig. 7. A collar, 6, is in like manner secured to each rod 0, toward the upper end thereof, and between this collar and a collar,

f, loosely surrounding the rods,a spiral spring, g, is interposed, of such construction and arrangement with respect to the adjacent parts as to press in opposite directions against said collars.

Block a, hereinbefore mentioned as secured to the frame, has its upper face inclined, and a wedge, h, having its under face incliuedina manner corresponding to the inclined face of block a, is arranged to slide upon the latter. The upper inclined face of block a is provided with a dovetail rib, a and the adjacent face of wedge hwith a corresponding groove, h, Fig. 2, so that exactness laterally of the position of the wedge and block may always be maintained. An ordinary tongue-and-groove connection may, however, be substituted for the dovetail device mentioned, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6.

A wedge, 13, having its upper face inclined as represented,.is adapted to rest and slide upon the upper face of wedge h, suitable guideways being formed in the latter for the former. An elongated slot, k is formed in wedge h, and a similar slot is formed in wedge i, to permit said wedges to be moved longitudinally without interference from the rods 0, which extend down through the slots h An enlarged channel or way is formed in wedge h above the dovetail groove 71., to permit collar (2 to move therein as the wedge h is moved. Loose collar f rests upon the upper face of wedge 73, while collardis borne upward against wedge h in the channel, before mentioned as formed in the lower face thereof, the dovetail connection of wedge h with block a serving, in addition to what has already been explained, to hold said wedge h down upon said block.

By the construction thus far described it will be seen that bed I) will be held up and normally rest upon springs g, collar (1 bearing against wedge h, as explained.

Each wedge h t has an arm,j,extended horizontally out and vertically down from its rear end, which vertical part of said arm is forked, as represented at k, the prongs of which fork straddle shafts Z 111, having bearings in brackets 19, secured to the frame a. Collars n n,adapted to be slipped upon said shafts, are secured theretoone on each side of the forked part of arm jby means of set-screws, as shown in Fig. 1. Shafts Zm have a screw-threaded connection with one or both of their bearings,and each shaft is provided on one end witha handwheel, 0, by which the shaft may be revolved or turned. It will now be seen that by turning the hand-wheel secured to shaft Z and revolving the latter,wedges It may be moved independently by wedges z',to simultaneously adjust or vary the height of both ends of the bed without disturbing the tension on spring 9 or force with which they press the bed upward, and that by a similar manipulation of shaft m wedges i may be simultaneously moved to vary or adjust the tension on springs g witl1- out disturbing the vertical position of the bed; also, by loosening collars n a each wedge may be adjusted independently of another or others and of its shaft and secured in any desired position thereon.

It will be understood that in lieu of collars a and set-screws, as shown in Fig. 1, I may employ nuts at, having a screw-threaded connection with the shafts, as represented in Fig. 5.

A rod, 0, is secured to each end of the bed, and there are wedges h i, and other adjuncts described, cooperating with each-of said rods.

The bed I) may be supported in an inclined position, as represented in Fig. 1, or in a hori zontal position, as represented in Fig. 5.

In Figs. 5, 8, and 9 I have shown the armj of wedge i as extending directly rearward and downward from the wedge to its shaft or, and the latter as journaled in bearing-boxes secured to the frame. In some instances this construction is preferred to that shown in Fig. 1, since it avoids the torsional strain put upon the arm in moving the wedge consequent upon the form or construction of the arm, as will be readily understood, there being considerable force required at times to adjust wedges Instead of the construction hereinbefore described for moving the wedges h t that shown in Fig. 7 may be employed-that is, each end of shafts Z and m may have a screw-threaded connection with the wedges h i, and the handwheels 0 0, provided with elongated hubs q q, adapted to turn in brackets r 1, attached to the frame, may be secured to the shafts between the wedges. The screw-thread on one end of each, shaft being right handed and on the other left handed, by turning said wheel it follows that said wedges will be moved in opposite directions, as will be understood. In this form of the device shafts Z m may be divided at the point where the hubs of hand-wheels 0 are secured thereto,whereby by loosening the hub on the shaft each wedge may be adjusted independent of the other by turning or adjusting the part of the shaft to which it is secured.

As a further modification of the means for adjusting the wedges h t independently, Fig. 10 is referred to. By the construction shown in said last-mentioned figure a hand-wheel, 0, having an elongated hub and ascrew-threaded connection with its shaft, which is rigidly secured in the frame, isprovided for each Wedge. The elongated hub in this example is provided with a groove, into which the prongs of the forked portion 70 of arm j extend, so that as 4 said hand-wheel and its hub are turned on the shaft they will be moved longitudinally thereon and impart a corresponding movement to their attached wedge.

A. construction and arrangement of parts similar to that just described may be made for moving shafts Z m, otherwise constructed and arranged as shown in Fig. 1that is, the elongated hub of the hand-wl1eel 0 may be arranged to turnin bracket-bearings b b, as rep resented in Fig. 11, and said hand-wheel have a screw-threaded connection with its shaft, as shown in Fig. 10, so that as the hand-wheel is turned the shaft and its attached wedges will be moved longitudinally.

By the invention described it will be seen that the position of the bed, as also the tension with which it is borne or pressed upward, may be adjusted with the utmost nicety, and with very simple and certainly operated means, and also that each part may be adjusted independently and without disturbing the positions or relationship of any other part orparts, and that both ends of the bed may be adjusted simultaneously by a single operation.

It is obvious that the changes in' the form and arrangement of the parts comprising my improvements may be made without departing from the nature or spirit thereof.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The frame and bed, wedges at each end of the bed for adjusting it vertically, and a shaft or rod with which said wedges are connected for moving the same simultaneously, said wedges having an adjustable connection with said shaft or rod independent of each other, all combined, arranged, and operating substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

2. The frame and bed, tension-springs for pressing the bed upward, wedgesat each end of the bed for adjusting the tension by which the bed is pressed upward, supports for said wedges, and a shaftor rod with which said wedges are connected for moving the same to simultaneously adjust the tension on said springs, said wedges having an adjustable connection with said shaft or rod independent of each other, all combined, arranged, and operating substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

3. The frame and bed, in combination with tension-springs for pressing said bed upward, rods for limiting the upward movement of the bed, wedges for adjusting the vertical position of the bed, secondary wedges for adjusting the tension by which the bed is pressed upward,

and mechanism,substantially as described, for

moving the adjusting-wedges at both ends of the bed simultaneously, as set forth.

4. The frame and bed, in combination with rods 0, tension-springs g, for hearing or pressing said bed upward, wedges for adjusting the tension of said springs, wedges independent of said tension-adjusting wedges for adjusting the position of the bed, and mechanism, subscribed, for independently adjusting each of said wedges, all arranged and operating as and for the purposes described. a

6. The frame and bed, in combination with rod 0, provided with the collars d, e, and f, spring g, wedge h, wedge z, shaft m, and handwheel 0, as set forth.

7. The frame and bed, in combination with rod 0, provided with the collars d, e, and f, spring 9, block a, wedges h i, the latter resting upon the former, shafts l m, and handwheels 0, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speeification,in the presence of two subscribing witnesess, this 14th day of J uly,1886.

GEORGE A. KNOX.

WVitnesses:

ARTHUR W. GRossLnY, O. F. BROWN. 

